Tristan's Biggest Mistake
by Shekiah Rosay
Summary: Serenity goes to a sleepover with Tea and Mai, where she admits that she has a crush on Kaiba. Mai teaches her 'how to get a guy', but Tristan get's the idea that he's the one she's after! complete
1. An Odd 'Discussion'

Tristan's Biggest Mistake. You can read on to find out just what Tristan's biggest mistake was. Funny for all who think Tristan is an absolute fool. If you do like him, you have my permission to stop reading right now. As for flames, I could care less. Just keep the reviews coming! Plus: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!  
  
The group sat under a tall oak tree on the Domino High school campus, eating their lunches. Joey and Tristan were talking mindlessly about who knows what, and Tea was gazing over at Yami (or where he would be if she could actually see him.) He was doing nothing in particular, just eating and chatting with Yugi. Seeing Yami and Yugi converse when Yami had left Yugi's body was very strange. It got Yugi some seriously odd looks, because he was the only who could see Yami in spirit form.  
  
Serenity sat, surfing the web on her brand new laptop. She found the KaibaCorp homepage. She grinned at the huge picture of a blue eyes. She knew who had created this site. KaibaCorp.com boasted the ability to access the stats of any duelist alive. She didn't doubt it. She clicked on that link and typed in 'Wheeler, Joseph' she smirked at the rating he had gotten. One out of five stars. Sad. Very, very, sad. At that exact moment, Joey looked over her shoulder. 'If he could just have done that one nanosecond later,' she thought, wincing. Her fears weren't in vain to say the least. Joey was having an overload. A serious one. Here's a censored clip of his dialogue:  
  
"That sleazy freak! I ought to **** his stupid *****!" Fuming and muttering of 'language' under breath. "How could he ***** me like that!" More muttering of curses.  
  
"Joey, calm down and don't talk about people like that. You're creating a scene." Serenity said firmly, but calmly, as if it happened all the time. She laid her hands on his quivering shoulders.  
  
"Serenity, but this isn't just a regular person, this is Kaiba!" Joey said Kaiba as if it were a curse. Well, the way an ordinary person would say a curse. Joey dished curses out nonchalantly 24/7. He had just proven this.  
  
"Joey, like I said before, that isn't the way to talk about people," Serenity said adamantly.  
  
"Why stick up for Kaiba? You almost sound defensive," Joey commented with a sneer that was almost Kaiba-esque.  
  
"Well, I'm sure there's nothing more between Kaiba and Serenity than meets the eye," Tristan cut in, obviously trying to reassure himself as much as everyone else.  
  
"Right," Joey replied. "And Serenity, do you have anything more to add to this little 'discussion', Joey asked, making little apostrophes with his fingers upon the word 'discussion'. For someone who despised Kaiba as much as he did, he sure was acting like him. Serenity shook her head defiantly. She looked almost like a sulking three- year-old, having been caught doing something wrong. And with that final note, the bell rang, and they all walked inside with some very interesting ideas.  
  
Thank you very much Wolfyu for telling me how to space it out! Indenting is possible! You're great!!! 


	2. The Sleepover

"Hey Serenity," Mai said excitedly into the phone.  
  
"Hi Mai!" Serenity replied into the telephone receiver. "What's up?"  
  
"I'm having a sleepover tonight! Can you come?" Mai asked.  
  
"Who's coming?" Serenity asked.  
  
"Just Tea," Mai said. "No real event. Just for fun."  
  
"Wouldn't miss it for the world!" Serenity assured. She wouldn't, either. Sleepovers at Mai's house were always the best ever.  
  
"Great! Bring a sleeping bag, clothes, and of course your cosmetics and CDs," Mai reminded.  
  
"Of course! See ya soon!" Serenity said quickly before slamming the phone down and running to pack up. If there was one thing that Mai officially stunk at, it was giving people advance notice.  
  
**** "What's up?" Mai grinned.  
  
"Nothin' much," Serenity replied, before dropping her bags to perform their special handshake, which involved hitting their fists one above the other with Mai's on top, then vice versa, then hitting their fists together, doing fast arm wrestling movements, and finally hitting themselves on the head. Joey had dared them to put the last part in, and after they had the first time, they continued to. No real reason. Sometimes it's just fun to be stupid.  
  
"I'll get your sleeping bag," Mai said grabbing Serenity's sleeping bag and carrying it upstairs to her room. Serenity looked around the room. Small, but very cool. Star, cloud, and moon theme occupied all space except that of her superfluous poster collection and her bathroom walls, which her mom had refused to change from the floral print that Mai despised.  
  
"Tea sat on the bed, choosing a color of nail polish. She greeted Serenity, and then said that she had chosen 'Vibrant Rose'.  
  
Mai painted her nails and then gave Serenity a French manicure. Mai wanted to work at a salon someday, and she was definitely qualified. After all nails had either been manicured or pedicured, and Michelle Branch's album 'The Spirit Room' had been listened to at least five times straight, the real fun began.  
  
Mai suggested that they get some frozen Capri Suns and popcorn. They did, and as they ate, Mai brought up the subject of dueling. Serenity, being new to the area, needed some help on this subject.  
  
"I know Yugi Moto came in first place at the duelist kingdom, and my brother second, but who came in third place?" Serenity asked.  
  
"Tough one. Some would say Seto Kaiba, but he didn't really participate in the tournament, or he probably would have been second place," said Mai.  
  
"Oh, Seto," Serenity said, a smile forming on her lips. "Very smart. Even a little, (here Serenity paused for a second and giggled madly) cute?"  
  
Mai spit the popcorn she had been chewing on across the room. "Cute! Seto Kaiba?!" She said flabbergasted. Serenity, now laughing madly and blushing deep crimson nodded.  
  
"Okay, who gave Serenity sugar?" Mai asked, advancing on Tea.  
  
"Nobody," said Tea honestly.  
  
"Mai, look. I'm not sugar-high or anything. I just think Seto's cute," Serenity said, gasping for breath.  
  
"Serenity, you have officially gone off the deep end," Mai said. "And to think of all the potential you had," she added, making very melodramatic gestures with her arms.  
  
"Mai's kinda right, Serenity," said Tea.  
  
"I wish you guys would take me seriously," Serenity said.  
  
"You mean, you weren't kidding?" Mai said, now acting concerned.  
  
"Not at all," Serenity said, now blushing even deeper than before.  
  
"Okay Serenity," Tea said. "I'm just a little surprised."  
  
"But if you want to get a guy, we'll be glad to teach you how," said Mai, rubbing her hand together. "This will be fun." 


	3. How to Get a Guy

The bell rang, and everybody ran. Papers went everywhere and the occasional shortie got trampled. Typical end of day Domino High behavior. It almost made Serenity laugh to see how immature people one entire year older than she could act. She skipped a grade to enter tenth grade with Joey. Being shorter than ninety percent of her classmates, she waited to be the last person to leave the room. She sympathized with Yugi. Walking outside, she stopped to hear her name called.  
  
"Serenity, what's up?" Mai called.  
  
"Nothing much," Serenity replied.  
  
"Good. I was just thinking that we could check out the new outlet mall on Domino Boulevard this afternoon," Mai replied. "I can give you a ride." Mai had gotten her driver's license just a month ago. The very week before, she had gotten a brand new convertible and never missed a chance to talk about it.  
  
"That would be awesome! Let me just consult my mom. After some of Joey's fight incidents in Brooklyn that she heard about, I have to give her a long list of info before doing anything," Serenity said, rolling her eyes. Pulling out her cell phone, she assured her mom that she wouldn't smoke, Mai was a responsible driver, and all that other annoying stuff that moms always ask.  
  
"It's cool with her," Serenity replied, accepting Mai's offer. "She was doing back flips the entire conversation that I had 'made so many new friends in Domino City'," Serenity laughed. Mai laughed also.  
  
"I wonder what she'll think when you get a boyfriend," Mai said with a smirk.  
  
"I told you, I just think he's cute! Shut up already!" Serenity said, pummeling Mai on the shoulder. Mai just laughed some more.  
  
"You know you like him. Quit arguing and let's get a move on!" She said, jingling her car keys.  
  
"Whatever," Serenity rolled her eyes.  
  
Mai started the car and Serenity got in. She turned up the radio until it was blasting and pulled out of the school parking lot. She really was a very good driver, and they were out of the post-school traffic and in the parking lot of the mall before she knew it.  
  
"Let's go to. . . Old Navy!" shouted Mai, pointing to the somewhat large building with blue letters that spelled out Old Navy. They walked inside and started to look around.  
  
"There are the advertised five dollar summer tee-shirts," Serenity noticed. They were blue, yellow, pink, and purple with the store name written across the chest in curly cursive letters. Typical, but none the less stylish. "I like this one," Serenity said, holding up one of the many selections. The shirt she had chosen was dark pink. It was a little baggy and the sleeves went to just above the elbow. Mai made a face.  
  
"No, Serenity, you don't. You like this one," Mai said holding out a purple spaghetti strap tank top. It was about three sizes smaller than the one Serenity had chosen.  
  
"But-" Serenity started, looking at the shirt. She noticed how low cut it was. Let's just say maybe a bikini would cover more.  
  
"Serenity, listen up. If you want to have any chance getting Seto to like you, you have to show yourself off. You are pretty, and I can tell by just looking at Kaiba that he likes girls that have as much nerve as he does. For starters, you can forget pink. It clashes sinfully with your hair," Mai said, finishing off with a pretend gag. Serenity had long given up trying to argue with Mai.  
  
"I'll try it on," Serenity sighed.  
  
"Not so fast. I cannot stand those jeans a moment longer. Talk about five sizes to big!" Mai said, looking as though Serenity had broken the law. "These are what I'm talking about!" she said, holding up a pair of flares. They were also horribly low cut. Very fashionable.  
  
"Mai, how can you expect me to wear those?! They're like, five sizes too small!" Serenity said with a look of horror.  
  
"You're right. Only five sizes could make them too big. Hmmm," Mai said looking thoughtful. Serenity gasped and started to protest. "Just kidding!" Mai said with a trademark 'you're-too-touchy' smile. "Just try them on."  
  
Serenity sighed deeply and went towards the dressing room. Mai followed and waited outside. After a few minutes, Serenity made her decision.  
  
"They won't fit," she said dismissively.  
  
"Hold it right there. Don't think you're getting off that easily," Mai said, defiant in a playful way. "I'll decide before you veto them. Let me see."  
  
"No, they don't work and that's it," Serenity said.  
  
"Don't make me come in there," Mai said. "As for the lock, I have a hairpin and know how to use it."  
  
"Fine, fine," Serenity said, opening the door. To Mai's surprise, they fell under any category but 'not fitting'. She was truly fit for the owner of KaibaCorp. The shirt fit tightly, and showed off a figure that no one knew she had. The jeans were so low cut (real hip-huggers)!  
  
"Serenity! You totally have Seto already! You look, well, incredible! Who knew you had such potential!" Mai stuttered in disbelief. After all, who knew? Serenity blushed a deep crimson.  
  
"Mai, does it really look that good?" Serenity said, rather self- consciously. "I mean, look at these shoes."  
  
"You have a point. We'll get you some decent platform shoes. That'll solve your height problem too!" Mai smiled. Let's face the music everybody. Kaiba is tall. Serenity is not. The bottom line is: she comes about to his waist! Really.  
  
They bought the shirt and jeans, and got a pair of platform shoes next door.  
  
"Serenity, I almost forgot! I saw Seto at lunch and he told me to give you this!" Mai said, pulling a white envelope out of her purse with Serenity's name in fancy cursive. Serenity opened it up and started jumping up and down.  
  
"Omigosh! An invitation to a pool party! How could you forget something like this?!" Serenity shouted.  
  
"Your brother and I each got one too," Mai said showing Serenity hers. "You and I both will need something to wear."  
  
"A swimsuit, what else? I already have one that fits and everything," Serenity said looking at Mai oddly.  
  
"I highly doubt that," Mai said giving her a sidelong glance. "You said the jeans fit too."  
  
"Fine, fine. I'll look," Serenity relented. Did you ever notice how Mai always gets what she wants?  
  
"Let's see what they have," Mai suggested, pointing to a store called 'West Coast'. Judging by the name and the window display, they stocked mostly swimsuits, towels, etc. They walked inside and browsed through the many racks. Suddenly, Mai spotted something.  
  
"Serenity, isn't this so you?" Mai said. What she held up made all the color drain from Serenity's face.  
  
****  
  
What did Mai find? Why did it freak Serenity out so bad? Find out next time! Aren't I just awful?! Anyway, here's a long list of the junk that I don't own:  
  
*Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters  
  
*Domino City  
  
*Old Navy (Although I do wear something from there literally every day)  
  
*I do own West Coast. If there actually is a store called West Coast, let me assure you that it is totally coincidental. 


	4. Can't Wait

Mai held an excuse for a swimsuit so small that it looked like it would hardly be considered anything at all.  
  
"Mai, this is just too sad, okay? I could live with the jeans, shirt, and your other absolutely crazy and impossible ideas, but this is just plain stupid, okay? Joey would flip!" Serenity shouted. "Just forget it!"  
  
"Serenity, do you ever learn? You should know by now that arguing with me is useless, a total waste of breath. Do you not realize I'm the fashion queen of Domino, and if I say it's in, it's in? If you want Kaiba to go for you, buy it. I'm not leaving until you do," said Mai with a sneer. "Oh, and P.S., if it's your brother you're concerned about, don't. I have total power over him," she finished with a wink.  
  
Serenity didn't say a word. She just closed her eyes and held her breath, apparently attempting not to scream. Her attempt apparently worked, because she just scowled at Mai and snatched the bikini. Without a backwards glance, she walked toward the dressing room. Mai waited outside, knowing that Serenity wouldn't even try to put up an argument this time. She was right, because after a few moments, Serenity stepped out.  
  
"Oh my GOSH! Serenity, you will knock em' dead! I cannot believe that you thought it wouldn't work. You could so be a magazine cover model!" Mai said. Actually, the only way to describe how she said it was 'totally un- Mai-ish'. The Mai we all know never shows surprise or much emotion at all.  
  
"Do you really think so?" Serenity said self-consciously.  
  
"Do you think I say things just to be nice? I'm honest. If you looked awful in it, I wouldn't hesitate to tell you right off the bat," Mai said.  
  
"I guess you're right," Serenity smiled. "I'll (Here she gulped) buy it." Mai just gave her an I-have-total-power-over-you smile. Serenity changed back into her original clothes and they bought it and left.  
  
"You just need one final touch," Mai said.  
  
"I hate to ask," Serenity said.  
  
"Make-up. Serenity, I can make you a model by tomorrow," Mai grinned.  
  
"Cool," Serenity said without much emotion.  
  
"What's with you?" asked Mai. "I was expecting to fight another war."  
  
"Well, to be honest with you, I've always wanted to wear make-up," Serenity smiled, her cheeks turning pink.  
  
"Well today's your lucky day. I' m gonna make you beautiful," Mai smiled. **** "Whoa! Is that all yours?" Serenity gasped.  
  
"I'm a collector. Been at it since elementary school," Mai said. "You sit down over there and close your eyes."  
  
Serenity did as she was told. Soon, Mai was giving her a complete make- over. Blush, mascara, you name it, she had it.  
  
"You can open your eyes now," Mai said, stepping back to admire her handiwork.  
  
"No way. How did you do that?" Serenity asked.  
  
"I'm a pro. Can't give away my secrets," Mai replied. "Just come over an hour before school starts tomorrow wearing your new shirt and jeans. I can recreate this masterpiece," she said. "Now go wash this off. I don't want to get into trouble with you-know-who." Mai rolled her eyes and Serenity nodded. Joey would freak out.  
  
Serenity picked up her bags, and with one final smile, she said:  
  
"Can't wait for tomorrow."  
  
*Short chapter, but I hope you liked it anyway. The next chapter will take place at school. The title will begin to take effect. Sorry I took so long to update! 


	5. Trouble Arises

Okay, so it took me forever to update again. I'm really sorry. You can expect updates very often, maybe even weekly in the future now that Sapphire is finished. Tristan's Biggest Mistake is the only story I have to update now! Yes!  
  
Serenity walked up the stone steps to the high school. Right now, she really wished that Domino hadn't eliminated the uniform rules. Why had she been stupid enough to go through with this? She looked down. Her supermodel clothes glared back, making her feel as dumb as ever. She took a deep breath and stepped inside.  
  
She almost expected Domino High School to have changed, but of course it was the same as always. She was the one who was different. The in-school suspension teacher gave her a once-over and scowled disapprovingly. That teacher in particular was known for her strict dress-code observation. Serenity chose to ignore this. She walked down all the halls until she reached the tenth-grade wing. She walked past all the classrooms, until she reached her homeroom. She walked to her desk. She was, in fact, early. It was planned this way. The less gaping eyes, the better. She unpacked and gathered her books. With a little difficulty she walked to her first class. She had to climb stairs. She clung on for dear life.  
  
The other students began to stream in, little by little. Each stopped for a moment to gawk at the 'new Serenity'. She just gave each a small smile. Mai walked in, and gave Serenity as thumb's up. She grinned.  
  
Her first period class went by fairly uneventfully. All that happened mainly was a few stares from some of the boys, and the guy that sat behind her kept giving her this weird look that freaked her out. Both of these could be ignored. Mai helped her to her next class.  
  
The next class was as different from the last as black from white. You ask why? I bet you could guess. This was the class she had with Joey and Tristan. One word (You guessed it): Uh-oh.  
  
She walked into the classroom, thank goodness; luck had stayed by her side (For right now). She and Mai were the first ones there. Taking a seat in the back of the class. She waited.  
  
The first person to walk in was Tea. She gasped, dropping all her books.  
  
"Serenity! How could this be?! I thought it was all a twisted rumor!" she said, acting like she was gasping for breath. "Why?"  
  
Serenity shrugged. "I wanted something different." Tea just gave her a horrified glance and sat down on the front row.  
  
The next person to walk in was the man of the moment, Joey Wheeler. He followed suit to Tea, except instead of horrified, he was mad. He ran up to Serenity.  
  
"Serenity, stand up," he said. Serenity did as she was told, but with an air of indifference.  
  
"They were telling the truth," Joey said angrily. "Why did you dress like that?"  
  
"Because I felt like it," Serenity said, in a voice she had practiced thousands of times in the mirror the night before.  
  
Joey knew nothing to do but sit by Mai.  
  
"Why did she dress like that?" he asked.  
  
"Because she felt like it," Mai said flirtatiously, with a wink. Joey gave her an exhausted look. "Fine, all I'll say is she's trying to impress a guy," Mai said. Joey looked excited. This kind of caught Mai off guard, because she thought that for sure he'd throw a tantrum.  
  
"Be right back!" he shouted, and ran out into the hallway. He came back in in a moment, accompanied by Tristan, who smiled at Serenity and winked. She wondered for a while what this gesture meant. Finally she just shook her head and went back to worrying about what Seto would think.  
  
Rocket scientist as he is, Tristan sat down at a seat where his view of Serenity was awful. He took out a book and started to read.  
  
The rest of the students filed in, and class began. Tristan put his book away, and Joey and Mai stopped talking. Everybody but Serenity paused his or her activities to listen to what the teacher said. She, however, continued to worry about what Seto would say in third period. The teacher droned on, and many people lost attention. This was, of course, impossible for Serenity, because she had never given her full attention. Tristan was among the group of minds that wandered.  
  
Persistent as he was, he was giving his best effort to get a view of Serenity. He leaned as far to the right as possible. As far as impossible. With a creak, the chair toppled over. Tristan toppled with it.  
  
The class exploded with laughter. His cheeks turned bright pink.  
  
"Mr. Taylor, is their anything you need to share with us?" the teacher asked. The class howled.  
  
"I'm fine," Tristan mumbled, and turned his chair back to its upright position. After Tristan was sitting back down and the class was settled, the class went on pretty much as usual.  
  
Afterwards, Serenity walked back downstairs. Unfortunately, she didn't have this class with Mai. Oh well. Back to hanging on for dear life.  
  
She sincerely doubted that Seto would freak out as much as everybody else. She hoped that that was a good thing.  
  
****  
  
Passable? I hope so. Like I said, the next update should be pretty soon, since this is the only story I have left to worry about. I just got really freaked out that I had lost this entire chapter, but I had to go through today and yesterday's complete update history to find it. Lol. My computer has an arrogant mind of its own. Go figure. 


	6. UhOh?

HI! I've finally been inspired to write the 6th chapter of Tristan's Biggest Mistake! I don't have much more to say except: hope you enjoy & please review!  
  
Serenity walked (or clung) down the stairs with a lump in her throat. This was the moment, but she felt like just running to the girl's bathroom and cutting classes for the rest of the day. She didn't know what he was going to think. She listed all the possible reactions and tried to decide which would be worst. Finally, she decided that his trademark 'wannabe' smirk would hurt most.  
  
She wouldn't worry about any other guy, but here, she was dealing with Seto Kaiba. He was about as far from 'any other guy' as one could possibly be. He didn't seem to give girls a moment of his time. I mean, did he ever give a second thought? Her brother Joey seemed to think about nothing else some times. Mai, no duh.  
  
She finally got to the tenth grade wing for third period. When she got to the door, she took a deep breath. She opened it and walked in. The students were just walking around and chatting. The 'popular girls' were sitting in their little in-crowd in the corner, spreading rumors like wildfire, as usual. She heard her name. The whole room was pretty typical. She looked around frantically. Finally, she saw him. Sitting in the corner, typing vigorously on the laptop that he carried with him everywhere. She walked over.  
  
As she stepped up behind him, he turned around. His cold blue eyes met hers. Yes, they remained cold. He looked at her feet and traced her up. He smirked.  
  
"So the rumors were true. The dog's little sister got a makeover." His words cut like knives. They stabbed her, and her self-esteem plummeted. He however, didn't seem to notice and went promptly back to typing. She walked away.  
  
Sitting back at her desk, she thought that she was going to cry. How could he think of her this way? How could he say things like that? Wasn't he human too? Didn't he have a heart at all? She wondered all these things. Little did she know what he really thought.  
  
He was human, and he had a heart for sure. A heart that was torn. He had lived through more than anyone should have to. He just didn't want his heart broken again. It had been shattered too many times. He wasn't going to put himself in a situation like that. It wasn't going to happen like that. If a heart wasn't given, it couldn't be hurt. If he had never loved anyone from the start, maybe things would be different. He could try telling her, but it wouldn't work. How could he expect her to understand? He had to continue to with cold remarks. He couldn't be in jeopardy of falling in love.  
  
This class continued. Serenity was still on the verge of breaking down. She just sat at her desk. She didn't talk, and hardly moved. She was afraid that if she spoke, she was going to break down. Finally, the time came to switch classes. She ran into Mai on her way back to her locker.  
  
"So, how'd it go?" Mai asked with a smile. Seeing the look on Serenity's face, her smile faded.  
  
"Guess," Serenity said. Mai didn't even have to.  
  
"I was afraid this was going to happen," Mai said, putting an arm around Serenity. "The make-up isn't waterproof, so you'll just have to tough it out. I'm really sorry. What did he say?"  
  
"He said: 'The rumors were true. The dog's little sister got a makeover.'" Serenity said quietly.  
  
"I see. His image of your brother interfered with his true feelings," Mai said. "This isn't fair, but if anyone told you life was fair, they were the biggest liar on Earth. Just hold your head up high. Maybe things will be different tomorrow."  
  
Serenity nodded and switched her books. She walked to her next class. Another class she had with Tristan. Maybe he could make her feel better. He'd always been a real friend in the past. She walked on ahead. About halfway there, they met.  
  
"Hi Serenity," Tristan said with a smile.  
  
"Hi," she said, kind of glumly.  
  
"What's up?" he said with some concern.  
  
"Nothing much," she shrugged.  
  
"Okay. See you in class," he said. After saying this, he ran up ahead to talk to Yugi. Yugi was the only one who hadn't commented on what she was wearing. That had been a relief.  
  
****  
  
Later, in class, she was doing a grammar quiz. She studied and studied, but she thought she was going to fail adverbs. Oh well. Could be worse. The teacher had left the room. Suddenly, a paper airplane hit her desk. She looked behind her. Tristan winked. She nodded, and opened it. Written in a blue pen were the following words:  
  
What are you doing the Friday night? If you're not busy, wanna see a movie?  
  
She wrote back 'Nothing. That would be cool.'. Refolding the airplane, she threw it back. She watched him open it and nod. She thought about what movie they might see. She also wondered who else he had invited. It would be fun to spend some time with friends.  
  
Little did she know, she had just agreed to go alone. With Tristan. On a date.  
  
****  
  
Hopefully that came out the way I wanted it to. Again I say: please review! 


	7. The Date

Serenity sat in front of the mirror in her room, putting the finishing touches on her make-up. Mai had taught her how that morning. She was excited about the movie, and getting to hang out with some of her friends. She had been a little surprised to find out that her brother hadn't been invited, but that didn't matter. Tristan was bound to have invited plenty of other people.  
  
"Serenity, your ride's here!" her mom shouted up the stairs.  
  
"Be right down!" she replied. She raced down the stairs.  
  
"Now, be sure to remember-" her mom started.  
  
"Yeah, whatever," Serenity said.  
  
"I'm sorry. Just take this," Ms. Wheeler smiled, handing her daughter her coat.  
  
"See you later," Serenity said. She ran out the door. Walking up, her steep driveway took her awhile. In more time than it was worth, she reached Tristan's car. She was surprised not to see anyone else. She opened the door and stepped inside.  
  
"Hi Serenity! You look great!" Tristan smiled.  
  
"Thanks," she said. "Who else is going with us?" A strange look shadowed his features for a moment, but it quickly cleared and he smiled.  
  
"It's just you and me this time," he said.  
  
"That's. . .nice," she said. Inside, se was thinking, Oh crap oh crap oh crap, what have I just done?! He, however, didn't seem to notice her hesitation. He just continued to drive.  
  
"So, how have you been lately?" he asked.  
  
"Fine," she replied. "Things have been very busy, but have gone pretty well."  
  
"That's good. I know what you mean," he replied. Tenth grade has been that way." They continued that way for the rest of the ride, mainly small talk.  
  
"We're here!" he said, getting out of the car. She moved towards the door to open it, but he got it for her. This just made things as a whole more awkward for her. Every little thing that he did for her screamed 'date, date, date', and made her feel queasy. Things didn't get any better when he stepped up to the ticket booth.  
  
"Two for the nine o'clock showing of 'The Majestic', please," he said. He paid and handed her one of the tickets.  
  
"I can pay you back," she said as they walked through the lobby.  
  
"Don't worry about it," he said. Another favor that made it all the more a date. They walked in and got a seat near the back. She wanted to sit near the front where it was less dark, but he chose the seat.  
  
Commercials and previews ran for a while until finally the lights dimmed. The movie began to play. It was actually pretty good. That is, until they got to the first romance scene. She began to feel a little ill at ease. She decided to watch the movie and not to worry. That is, until Tristan put his hand over hers.  
  
Thinking fast, she pulled that hand away to pretend to straighten her hair. Once she was 'done', she put her hands in her lap. Congratulating herself on her quick thinking, she continued to watch the movie.  
  
Things actually went pretty well for the rest of the movie. Tristan kept his hands to himself, and the romance scenes were few and far between. Finally, it was time to go. They picked up their stuff and left. She felt the long-awaited sensation of the cold night air blowing back her auburn hair.  
  
Looking around, she saw someone she knew. Her stomach flipped. This was not cool. It was Seto Kaiba. He looked over. Seeing Tristan with Serenity, he smirked. Serenity gulped and acted natural.  
  
"Thanks for the movie," Serenity said.  
  
"Don't mention it," Tristan replied. They walked back to his car. They stepped inside. Serenity expected him to start it immediately, but he didn't.  
  
"Hey Serenity," Tristan started.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Joey told me about why you wore that outfit today," he said.  
  
"He did?!" Serenity said with dismay. "Please don't tell anybody!"  
  
"I won't. It can between you and me," he smiled, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.  
  
After that, Tristan drove Serenity home in silence. When they reached her house, she stepped out. Tristan walked her to the door.  
  
"Thanks for coming with me tonight. I had a great time," Tristan smiled.  
  
"Well thank you," said Serenity. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
"See you," said Tristan.  
  
"Bye."  
  
When Serenity first got in the door, the first thing she wanted to do was have a long chat with Joey about keeping secrets. She walked into his room and slammed the door behind her. She found him on his bed, reading a comic book.  
  
"Joey," she started. I have something to discuss with you."  
  
"Sure. What up, sis?" he said, sitting up.  
  
"How did you know about Kaiba?" she asked, sitting on the side of the bed.  
  
"What about Kaiba?" Joey asked.  
  
"That I wore those clothes today to impress him," she said. All the color drained from Joey's face.  
  
"You wore those clothes. . .to impress Kaiba?" Joey said.  
  
"Uh-huh. Tristan said you told him why I wore this outfit today, and I was wondering how you knew," she stated.  
  
"I told Tristan that you wore those clothes to impress him," Joey said.  
  
"To impress Tristan?!" Serenity said disbelievingly. At the same time, they stated the only thing on their minds.  
  
"Uh-oh!"  
  
"Joey, how could you be so stupid to jump to conclusions like that?" Serenity shouted.  
  
"Me, stupid? If I remember right it was you walking around campus today dressed like a dang supermodel just to impress some CEO son of a *****!" Joey retorted  
  
"How could you call Kaiba something like that?! He's three times the man you'll ever be! Besides, you were the one who told Tristan that I had a crush on him and caused him to ask me out on a date!" she interjected.  
  
"Well you-did you say date?!" Joey asked.  
  
"Yep. I was at the movie theater with Tristan tonight alone," she said.  
  
"I. . .I'm sorry that that happened. It must have been pretty awkward."  
  
"No, ya think?! We even saw Kaiba there!"  
  
"I'm sorry," said Joey. Serenity sighed.  
  
"It's okay. I'll talk to him tomorrow. Just don't assume stuff like that anymore, okay?"  
  
"I'll try not to. I wish you luck," Joey finished.  
  
"Thanks," she said with a smile, and left.  
  
**  
  
I hope that was good. I tried not to rush, and I'll say four pages was hopefully not rushing it. I used your idea, LiLIaNjIeguRL! That was good! It will come in handy later. 


	8. Breaking the News

More TBM! YEAH!!! Okay, so maybe you can tell I'm just a little excited to be sitting at my computer, typing this story. It's been a while since I updated, and I'm sorry! Believe me, I would have given anything for the opportunity to. I was staying at this little island, and I had to go to this little library on the mainland about fifteen minutes away just to check my email! This freakish librarian forced me to fill out miles of paperwork, and screamed at me when I stayed on for thirty minutes without filling out miles of paperwork all over again. It wasn't cool. Thus ends my story. Read this other story that might entertain you just a little more.  
  
Serenity walked up the stone steps to Domino Highschool the next day with a lump in her throat. She was just dressed normally today. She'd had it with being dressed like a supermodel. It was too much to worry about. However, new anxieties had replaced the last.  
  
Today she had to break the news to Tristan. That wasn't going to be fun. Really, though. How do you tell a guy like him that what he believed was all wrong. That she really didn't want to go out with him, or anyone. Anyone except Seto.  
  
It was always 'except Seto', wasn't it? There was just something different about him. He didn't think like other guys. His priorities just weren't the same. Girls seemed to be the last thing on his mind. Maybe that was why she. . .loved him.  
  
Yes, that was it, and she wasn't afraid to admit it to herself. She loved him. She loved everything about him. His crystal eyes, everything. Even his mysterious attitude. Best of all, she loved his smile. She hadn't even seen it, yet she loved it. She somehow knew that he had a wonderful smile. As little as he chose to show it, she somehow knew.  
  
She stepped into the building. Dropping off her backpack in her locker, she got all her books together. She passed through the first part of first period pretty easily. That, however, was the only thing she passed. At the end of class she got her science quiz back. Looking at it, she winced. On the top, in red, circled, was a huge F. So she had been somewhat preoccupied yesterday. So much for all A's and B's.  
  
She started down to her second period class. 'If this was a musical, I know what would be playing right now. How about a nice, slow funeral march,' she thought grimly. On the way, she ran into Tristan. Of course. She had planned it this way. She'd just pull him over into a corner, and tell him. She'd be gentle, or try to be. Definitely not evasive or blunt. She walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"Tristan, I need to talk to you," she said quietly. She stepped over towards the wall. He followed, just as planned.  
  
"Of course Serenity. You know you can tell me anything," he smiled. The next thing he did was absolutely uncalled for. He put an arm around her. You read that right. He put his arm around her.  
  
She flexed her shoulders awkwardly. That idea was in vain. He just smiled at her. Serenity gasped. Why her? At that very moment, Seto walked by. Why did he have to see them at precisely the wrong moments. Always!  
  
"Now what was it that you wanted to tell me?" he beamed.  
  
"Tristan, I didn't know how to tell you this. All I know is that Joey jumped to conclusions and told you that I liked you. In truth, I only like you as a friend," she blurted out. In moments, she wished that she hadn't.  
  
Tristan's cheeks reddened. He pulled his arm away, and stared at the ground.  
  
"I'm. . .sorry Serenity," he said quietly. Her eyes welled up with tears. She knew that this would hurt Tristan, but she didn't think it would be that bad.  
  
"I'm sorry Tristan. I had no idea how to tell you!" she shouted. She ran. She didn't care where. Just away.  
  
Unknown to her, she was being followed. And it wasn't by Tristan.  
  
****  
  
Good? I hope so. I hope it was long enough. I have a few important memos!  
  
First and foremost: I'm working on a mailing list. Please specify in your next review whether you want to be contacted whenever I update if you haven't already.  
  
Second and sorta important: I'd like to recommend my other Yu-Gi-Oh fanfictions, Sapphire in particular. It's a unique romance, taking place in ancient Egypt. A Seto/Serenity with a new twist. I created an ancient Egyptian version of Serenity, and the story is basically the adventure of her and Seth. Prepare for serious angst! Yes, I can write angst. Read and review that story also!  
  
Third and rather unimportant: I thought that some of you Tristan's Biggest Mistake fans might want to know a funny story about this fanfiction. I had the bright idea, and decided to put it up. Sadly, it didn't go over very well. When I put up the fourth chapter, I had seven reviews. Absolutely, 100% pathetic. With a heavy heart, and tears in my eyes, I put up the fifth chapter. The next day, I checked reviews. I would be ecstatic to have even ten, but doubted I would. When I looked, I had 21! ! ! I was so happy! I ran around the house doing a happy review dance. Everyone thought I had gone crazy, but didn't worry about me. They knew that I had gone off the deep end a long time ago. Oh well. To this day, Tristan's Biggest Mistake is beating the heck out of Sapphire, my former best story. Anyway, continue to review and keep me dancin'! 


	9. An Idea

Serenity continued to run. Down the stairs, out the door. She didn't know where she'd end up, but somehow she knew that she'd know where to stop. Colors, people blurred past. It didn't matter anymore. She'd broken someone's heart. She'd crushed him. The look on his face at that moment would stay with her for the rest of her life, she knew. Finally, winded and broken, she sat down on a bench.  
  
She put her knees in front of her and held her arms around them. Tears filled her eyes, but she wanted to try to be stronger now. She knew it wasn't going to work. Suddenly, a voice spoke above her. She would have recognized it, or at least looked up, but things felt different now.  
  
"What's wrong?" the voice asked. "Break up with Taylor*?"  
  
"We were never going out," she replied without looking up. Even more suddenly, to her dismay and that of the speaker, she started talking. She told the whole story. Serenity still didn't bother to look up to see the speaker's identity. They were someone who would listen, and that was all that mattered.  
  
"Mai talked me into dressing up to impress Kaiba, but then Tristan thought I was trying to impress him. He asked me out on a date, but I didn't know that it would be just us, alone, so I accepted. I realized that night what was going on, so I knew I had to tell him. I did tell him, today, and I ended up breaking his heart." The words came out in a rush. She hadn't even known herself how bad she needed someone to talk to her about this. She needed it so bad that she didn't even have to know who she was talking to.  
  
Finally, she took the time to look up. When she saw who it was, she gasped. All the color drained from her face. She had just told the entire, awful story, right down to the original plan with Mai, to Seto Kaiba himself.  
  
He looked down at her. She jumped up, and prepared to start running again. She started to move, but he grabbed her wrist. Seto's mouth, formerly set in a straight line, curved at the ends into a small smile. She started to breathe hard.  
  
"I expected something of the like," he said. "I understand."  
  
"You . . .you do?" she asked. He nodded.  
  
"I understand about Taylor. I had the wrong idea," Seto said.  
  
In truth, Seto's thoughts were very different than what his cool attitude suggested. In truth, he was as breathless as Serenity. To impress. . .him? This was different. In truth, he admired Serenity as much as she admired him. She seemed so happy and carefree, kind and open. All that he wasn't. All that he wanted to be. Sadly, his reputation would never allow that. He had never felt this way about anyone. It could only be love. It had to be love.  
  
Sadly, it also couldn't be love. If it was, he could resist it, right? Wrong. He'd never felt this way about another girl. He wanted to make her smile that irresistible grin. He wanted someone to love him for who he was, not for his looks or money. She did. Going against his better judgment, he decided to give into an idea of his.  
  
"I also think it would be worthless for either of us to go back to school today. To spare us both the humiliation, let's just forget it," he said.  
  
"You don't mean . . ." Serenity's voice trailed off.  
  
"Yes, I do," Seto smirked. "Let's give your brother and everyone else a turn by skipping class."  
  
****  
  
Okay, so I know that in relation to the last chapter's length, that really wasn't all that much better. In other words, it was way too short. Sorry. I had to end it at a good cliffhanger, right? I promise that the next chapter will be much longer. However, I need your help! I've never truly asked for ideas in the past, just encouraged them. Now, I need them more than ever. Please just do me a favor and answer these questions:  
  
First, what's your idea of a perfect date?  
  
When should she start to guess that Seto has similar feelings for her?  
  
Would it be rushing anything to have it get romantic at the end of their day together?  
  
Thanks a million! ! !  
  
Oh yeah, *Tristan's last name is Taylor in the American series, for all viewers that watch the Japanese non-dubbed.  
  
A short letter to a particular reader, Queen of Hearts:  
  
Y'know how I said in my review that your story, 'Because I Love You', that it sounded way too much like Tristan's Biggest Mistake? Well, I haven't gotten a reply regarding that yet from you, and I would like to sort this out. If you got ideas from this, I'll understand, but please give me some credit if that was the case. Please review this story and give me an explanation if you can. I still don't mean to give accusations, but it was astoundingly coincidental that you wrote that story the day after you reviewed mine. Thanks. 


	10. What Mokuba Had to Say

As they walked through the parking lot, Seto was the first to break the ominous silence that hung over them.  
  
"We'll drop off the few books we have with us at my house first," he said. The level of confidence in his voice was such that she didn't dare to contradict.  
  
As they neared the end, he stopped beside a convertible.  
  
"Whoa. . ." she breathed. He smirked. The entire body of the magnificent car gleamed despite the significant lack of sunlight. It was a brilliant shade of emerald green. The seats were smooth and sleek black leather.  
  
"Custom made. It seats four," Seto said with an air of superiority. As they only had the books for their post lunch courses with them, everything fit easily on the floorboard of the backseat.  
  
After they had deposited their textbooks, he seated himself in the driver's seat. Gesturing quickly for Serenity to sit in the passenger's side, he started the car. Not needing to be told twice, she took the seat next to him.  
  
"How long have you had this car?" she asked, awe evident in her voice. And she had thought Mai's car was cool.  
  
"A month or so. Of course, I've had the technology replaced many times since I bought it," he said, maintaining his usual cool and collectedness.  
  
"Wow," she said. He nodded. They drove down the road in silence for a while. Secretly both of them were savoring the time that they sat together, silence or otherwise, but neither dared to admit it. Finally, Seto began to turn into a driveway.  
  
"Is this your house?" Serenity said, her eyes as big as saucers. Seto couldn't help but smile. She really had no idea, did she? However, she didn't see. Her eyes were still glued to the looming mansion.  
  
"Yes, it its. Come on. Get your books," he said, in his regular uninterested tone, despite his feelings.  
  
Serenity followed him up the sidewalk. She had finally taken her eyes off the house, and was watching where she was going. As they stepped up to the door, Seto pulled a card out of his inside pocket. He swiped it down a scanner, and typed in some numbers.  
  
"Come on in," he said, beckoning her inside the huge mahogany double doors. However reluctant, she followed none the less.  
  
"It's around a quarter to four, and Mokuba gets out of school at three. He should be around here somewhere," Seto explained.  
  
"Hey Mokuba!" he shouted. "Come on down!"  
  
"Be right there!" a younger boy's voice called back down the stairs. Sure enough, within moments a short, black haired boy grinned before them.  
  
"Mokuba, this is Serenity. Serenity, this is my younger brother Mokuba," Seto introduced them.  
  
"Well no-duh," said Mokuba. I should know who she is. After all, you-"  
  
"Mokuba, that's enough," he said calmly, but sternly enough to get the point across. "I'm going to go upstairs to change clothes. You stay down here with Serenity. Got it?"  
  
Mokuba nodded. "I sure will," he said in a rather angelic voice. "See you later."  
  
It was Seto's turn to nod. On that final note, Seto disappeared upstairs leaving Mokuba and Serenity to hang out for the next few minutes.  
  
"Okay Serenity! Come with me!" Mokuba said. She followed him into a grand living room. They sat down on a velvet sofa. She noticed a glass blue eyes white dragon statue in the corner.  
  
"You know, I think my brother likes you," Mokuba said.  
  
"Of course he likes me. I wouldn't be here otherwise," she replied, giving him an odd look.  
  
"No, no. I mean he likes you," Mokuba said, drawing out the word 'likes'.  
  
"You mean like . . ." her voice trailed off. Mokuba grinned.  
  
"Yup. He definitely has some kind of a crush on you," Mokuba said. "Don't you think it's obvious?" he said, rolling his eyes. "The way he looks at you, says your name! Everything about this picture absolutely spells it out in bold letters!"  
  
"You really think?" she said.  
  
"I know," said Mokuba. "You know what else? I think you dig him, too!"  
  
"No way!" Serenity said, her cheeks turning a deep scarlet.  
  
"You blushed!" Mokuba said, mischief distinct in his voice.  
  
"Okay fine," Serenity said. "I give up."  
  
"You admit it! You're as bad a pushover as my brother!" Mokuba laughed.  
  
"Promise you won't tell him!" Serenity said.  
  
"But-"  
  
"Promise!"  
  
"Oh fine," Mokuba gave in. "Just one condition. You don't tell him that I told you all this stuff. Deal?"  
  
"Deal," Serenity said. Just as they shook hands, they heard Seto on the stairs.  
  
"Oh!" Mokuba said, moving to the other side of the sofa. Quickly, they staged a convincing conversation about the weather. By the time Seto stood in the doorway, they appeared to have been chatting like they were the whole time.  
  
"Serenity?" Seto asked. As they turned to face him, both were mildly surprised. Seto actually wore something that didn't involve a trench coat. He wore a loose fitting tee-shirt that bore the KaibaCorp logo and a pair of jeans.  
  
"Wow Seto, I didn't know you even owned something like that!" Mokuba exclaimed.  
  
"Now you do. Serenity, would you like to go to the beach?" he asked. Somehow, his voice seemed very uncharacteristic.  
  
"I'd love to," she smiled.  
  
"Okay, then. Mokuba, I'll see you later. I don't know how long we'll be gone. Don't expect me back for dinner tonight," Seto said.  
  
"Got it. See ya," he winked. "Oh yeah, Seto, you sure chose a romantic place." Seto rolled his eyes. Serenity followed suit.  
  
As they walked out to the car (if something that magnificent could actually be called a car) Serenity thought to herself.  
  
'Just maybe, Mokuba could be right . . .'  
  
****  
  
A longer chapter! Yay! I was just dying to get to this part of the story. Most of you said that you wanted them to go to the beach, so you got your wish! Read chapter eleven to find out what happens on this little 'outing'. Please review! 


	11. The Boardwalk

So, I took forever to update. It's not MY fault, this site was down.. I can imagine you seeing Seto as OOC in this chapter, but everybody acts different when they're with a crush, right? That's just the message I'm trying to get across. Please read and review, and I don't think I've said this in a while, so here goes: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Serenity was quiet most of the way there. They drove for a while, neither daring to say anything. It was like the way to Seto's house, for him at least. She had new things to ponder.  
  
Finally, they rounded a corner. She heard waves crashing, and smelled the surf rolling in on the crisp breeze. They had arrived. Seto stopped the car and stepped out. Walking around to her side, he opened the door for her. Serenity stepped out onto the sand, glad she wasn't wearing the platform shoes from yesterday.  
  
"This is a beautiful stretch of beach," she commented, breaking the silence as she had before.  
  
"It is, isn't it?" he nodded. It was. It was a cloudy day, and the sun hardly ever escaped from behind the gray cover. The air was thick with the smell of rain, and fog laced the crashing waves. It was somewhat dark, like a storm was rolling in.  
  
"Shouldn't you put the hood up on the car?" she asked. He shrugged.  
  
"It isn't really supposed to rain. In fact, it's supposed to clear up in time for a nice sunset tonight," he said. She smiled. This day was getting better and better.  
  
Right then, nevertheless, it was still cloudy. However, the sight of the mist on the waves was almost artistic.  
  
"There's a boardwalk up here. Would you like to see it?" he asked.  
  
"That would be nice," she replied, looking up at him. The kept a steady pace. Soon, they reached the boardwalk Seto had described. It stood far above the water. The view had to be beautiful.  
  
"It's so picturesque!" Serenity exclaimed. Seto almost smiled at her amazement, but caught himself just in time.   
  
They walked up the boardwalk, over the water. The planks of wood below them creaked with each step. It had obviously seen many storms in the years it had stood. Far below them, the waves crashed, and the clouds shifted above their heads.  
  
A foghorn sounded across the bay as they reached the end of the walk. There was a bench facing the water. Serenity sat, and Seto took the seat beside her.  
  
"You and your brother seem very close," she said, trying to hit on a subject that she thought would make for a light and casual conversation.  
  
"We have to be. We're all each other has left," he said. She nodded.  
  
"I'm pretty close to my brother, too. Even though we still have living parents," she added.   
  
"We've certainly been thorough enough together," he said with a sigh.  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked. She hadn't heard the edge to his voice. In a moment she'd regret asking.  
  
"Well, our mother died at Mokuba's birth, and when our father died soon after, we lived at an orphanage for a while," he started to explain.  
  
"What was it like there?" she questioned.  
  
"Well, the boys there were pretty mean to Mokuba. He'd get upset. I'd always comfort him like any brother would. When people came to adopt children, they'd always try to take me. I insisted on staying with him. He needed me, Serenity. Finally, one day I said I'd play chess with one man who happened to be the CEO of KaibaCorp. If he won, he could take me, and only me. If I won, he'd take both of us. I did win in the end. That was the biggest gamble in my life. Also one of the dumbest," here he stopped for a moment. She realized that she'd been hanging on to his every word. He continued.  
  
"I guess you could say that things went downhill from there. He was an abusive parent, and insisted that I take his place as CEO one day. He taught me everything I know now. Finally one day, I got fed up. I'm not going to describe it, but he ended up dead. I didn't exactly kill him, if that's what you're thinking. I took over as the owner, and, well, here I am now," Seto said.  
  
"That's horrible!" Serenity exclaimed. Seto nodded. His eyes were misty and clouded over as he stared off into the distance, the worst kind of nostalgia taking its toll.  
  
"Joey and I didn't have it easy, but nothing like that," she said.  
  
"Care to elaborate?" he asked in a dismal tone.  
  
"Well, our parents fought all the time. They didn't really ever pay as much attention to us as they should have. I had an eye disease that could, and almost did, make me blind. Joey got the money at Duelist Kingdom for me to get the operation," Serenity said.   
  
They sat there for a moment, reflecting on what each other had just said, and maybe understanding each other a little better.  
  
****  
  
I had to divide this into two chapters. It was just plain too long. Oh well. At least you can expect a sooner update. =) One more thing: remember chapter two? As hard as it may be to think back that far, stick with me now. I used the CD by Michelle Branch, The Spirit Room. I don't own it or Capri Suns, which I think I also used, just to let you know. Anyway, chapter twelve will be the most amazing . . . capturing . . . exciting chapter yet! So please review now, and read the next chapter! 


	12. The Sunset

"I see," Seto said. It was all coming together now. She nodded.  
  
"Are you ready to walk a little further down the beach?" he asked, obviously taking his turn at breaking the silence, which was just as awkward as ever.  
  
"I guess so," Serenity replied, nodding her head.  
  
With that they walked back down the boardwalk and onto the sand. It crunched under their feet. With soft and simultaneous whooshes, the water was coming closer to them.  
  
"Looks like the tide's coming in," Seto observed. "We probably should go on back to the car."  
  
"To leave?!" Serenity exclaimed, hoping that she'd misunderstood.  
  
"Of course not. We've hardly been here two hours. All I'm saying is it's getting close to dinnertime, and I know of a nice on the beach restaurant not too far from here. We should probably go ahead. I'll make a reservation."  
  
Pulling a cell phone out of his pocket, he dialed a number quickly.  
  
"Hello, Paradise Café? I'd like to get a reservation for two, outside if possible. Preferably for around five thirty. Wonderful, thank you," he said, and hung up. "Let's go."  
  
The walk back down the beach was beautiful. Seto had been right, the sun was coming out.   
  
"What exactly is the Paradise Café?" Serenity asked.  
  
"Well, it's a Café on the waterfront. The back deck faces west, and the sunset is visible. That's where our reservations are," Seto explained. "They serve things like fish, steak, pasta, I guess most everything."  
  
"Sounds great," she said. It sounded to her like a very expensive place to eat. She figured that she wouldn't have the opportunity to go, were she not in the company of a millionaire.  
  
As they got back to the car and were seated, Seto proposed a question.  
  
"Do you mind if we listen to music on the way?" he asked. "I have a guitar CD that I think you'd like."  
  
"That's fine! I love guitar," she said honestly. It truly was one of her favorite instruments.   
  
He put a CD in the player, and classical music began to play. She knew most of the songs, and was humming along.  
  
When they got there, she was almost disappointed to have to get out. The ride had been so pleasant.  
  
As they stepped into the café, Serenity realized that she had been very accurate in her guess.  
  
"Table for two, reserved under the name 'Kaiba'," Seto said.  
  
The host gave a disapproving glance at their attire. Noticing, Seto took a business card out of his pocket and gave it to him. The host glanced at it.  
  
"So sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Kaiba. Right this way, please," he said. Seto turned to Serenity and winked. Noticing an immediate and incredible resemblance to Mokuba, she smiled.  
  
After they were seated, she gazed at her surroundings. The sun's rays penetrated the clouds and danced across the glittering waves. It was beautiful.  
  
"Wow," she breathed.  
  
"You really don't get out much, do you?" Seto asked, looking into her eyes.  
  
"I guess I don't," she smiled. As they chatted, a girl in her early twenties walked over to their table.  
  
"Hello, my name is Jean and I'll be your waitress. What drinks may I get you this evening?" she asked, pulling a small leather-bound notepad out of her pocket.  
  
"I'll have an iced tea," Serenity replied.  
  
"Just water, thank you," Seto said.  
  
"I'll be back in just a moment with your drinks," Jean said, hurrying off.  
  
"They must be busy," Serenity observed, looking at her menu. Seto nodded.  
  
"I wanted to get here fairly early so that we could at least be seated."  
  
"This is a beautiful restaurant," Serenity said. "Thanks for taking me here."  
  
"Oh, think nothing of it. I first learned about it by going here with some associates. It was fairly nice then, but it's seems much better now for some reason," he said, looking into her eyes.  
  
"It's a lovely view," she said, looking out into the bay.  
  
"That it is," he murmured, staring off into the horizon.  
  
"Here are your drinks," said Jean, rocketing them both out of their current state. "May I take your orders?"  
  
"I'll have the prime rib," answered Serenity.  
  
"Shrimp marinara, if you please," Seto finished.  
  
"I'll be back in a moment," Jean said, collecting their menus and leaving once more in what they perceived to be a hurry.  
  
"So you like seafood?" Serenity said, looking over at Seto.  
  
"It's always been one of my favorites, but Mokuba doesn't like it. I don't get it that often," he replied.  
  
"I know how you feel. My mom's a health food freak, so I don't get prime rib too often either," said Serenity.  
  
"The wait's usually not too bad here, so we should get our food pretty soon," Seto said.  
  
Sure enough, Jean came with their tray in barely a moment's time.  
  
"If you need anything more, please don't hesitate to ask," she said, placing their food on the table. Picking up the tray, she left.  
  
"The food is wonderful," Serenity said between bites. Seto nodded.  
  
"I'm pleased to see you differ from your brother in eating habits," he said. Serenity laughed out loud.  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment."  
  
They spent the rest of the meal mostly eating. Occasionally they had light conversation, but less often than not. Jean made frequent stops at their table to ask about the food, did they need anything, etc. She obviously knew that Seto was a millionaire and expected a nice tip.   
  
Leaving the check and a tip (that wasn't all too much above average) they left. As they walked out to the car, Seto asked another question.  
  
"Do you want to stay to watch the sunset?" he asked.  
  
"That would be lovely," Serenity replied.  
  
"I'll just get a blanket out of the car, and we can watch it from the sand," Seto said.  
  
They walked up to the car. After getting a blue sheet out of the trunk, they walked a bit further up the beach to a spot where they would be alone. They spread it out and sat down.  
  
The sunset was spectacular. Peach and indigo streaked the rich evening sky. Vivid reds and pinks dotted it, above the soft nigh twilight glow of the sun. Right then, the world was them and only them. The rest seemed to stop turning on it's axis for Seto and Serenity, watching the sunset together.  
  
"Serenity!" a furious voice behind them shattered the sensation. Flipping around, Serenity saw what she immediately knew was what she feared most. Behind them stood Joey, his face pale and contorted with rage. 


	13. Me Too

I've decided to put you guys out of your misery early! The reason I ended that way is . . . well, let's put it this way. You're reading this right now, so it worked! =)  
  
****  
  
"Serenity, what are you-" Joey abruptly stopped when Kaiba turned around.  
  
"Kaiba," he whispered, hate dripping from his words. "What have you done to my sister?"  
  
"I've done nothing to your precious sister, Wheeler," Kaiba replied stiffly, choosing to combat Joey's hate and fury with sarcasm of his own.  
  
"Don't play games with me, you snake. Now tell me what's going on, or you'll be in more trouble than you already are!" Joey sounded nothing like himself. Kaiba and Serenity rose and approached him.  
  
Serenity was still milk-white. She walked slowly behind Seto, quivering with every step she took.  
  
"I told you. Your sister came with me willingly," Seto said again. The only light they had was the full moon. The sun had long set. Serenity stood behind him, looking on the verge of fainting.  
  
"Fine then. Serenity, tell me what's happened," Joey said, turning to his younger sister.  
  
"Seto's done nothing to me. He's telling the truth," her voice shook.  
  
"Serenity, I can tell you're scared. Don't be afraid to tell me the truth. He won't hurt you anymore," Joey said, looking into Kaiba's eyes with a kind of hatred neither of them had ever dared to show before.  
  
"That's not what I'm afraid of. I know he won't Joey, and he hasn't. We're telling the truth!" she shouted, looking very weak.  
  
"It's obvious that he's forcing you to say that. Serenity, don't worry. I'm here now," Joey said, shooting an evil look at Kaiba.  
  
"Listen to your sister, Wheeler, if you don't want to listen to me," Kaiba sneered.  
  
"We've been worried sick all day! When Yugi said you weren't in math class, we all wondered what was going on. We searched everywhere! Now I find you here!" Joey said.  
  
"I'm sorry," said Serenity. Her voice quavered.  
  
"It's not your fault. If neither of you will explain, I guess I'll have to find out for myself," he said. He approached Kaiba, cracking his knuckles. Seeing what was coming, Serenity ran over and stood between them.  
  
"I can't let you do this!" she said, with definite uncertainty.  
  
"Serenity, you don't have a part in this," Joey said. He shoved her aside. She knew that he certainly hadn't meant to be rough; that he just wasn't thinking. Still, it did hurt a little.  
  
"Bring it on," Kaiba sneered.  
  
"Gladly," Joey said, narrowing his eyes.  
  
Joey sent a blow to Seto's face. Ducking, he threw a punch to Joey's stomach. They both blocked and ducked, occasionally getting hit, but neither stopped. Finally, Seto sent a blow squarely to Joey's left eye. Joey staggered a little, but made a fast comeback.  
  
"Stop!" Serenity shouted. Her voice sounded more certain than it had before. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed to her knees on the ground nearby. "Stop it both of you!"  
  
Seto stopped and looked her direction. He thought nothing of Joey's coming blow. It made full impact, right on his lower lip. Out of shock, and from the searing pain, he fell backwards on the ground.  
  
"Seto!" Serenity shouted, running towards him. She sat on the sand beside him. His lip looked bad. Split for sure. Blood was running down his chin.  
  
"So it's come to this, has it?" Joey said, looking down at them. "He matters more than your own brother."  
  
With these last words, he walked off. Serenity ran after him.  
  
"Joey!" she shouted. "It's not like that! Come back!" He just walked off. Returning slowly to Seto's side, Serenity knelt beside him in the moonlight.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said softly.  
  
"It's my fault," she replied. "I never should have agreed to come with you. I was just so mad at everyone. It just . . . I just . . ." she stopped; now staring down at the ground. Her hair fell like a curtain, hiding her face. A silver tear slipped down her cheek.  
  
Seto put a finger under her chin, and lifted her face so that they were facing one another, eye to eye.  
  
"I'm glad you did," he said.  
  
"Me too," she replied, tears still running down her cheeks.  
  
****  
  
THIS ISN"T THE END! 


	14. Forever

He ran his fingers through her silky auburn hair. Serenity gave him a weak smile, and put a hand over his.  
  
"Your lip needs some work," she observed. True, his tee shirt was now just a bloody as his lip. He was looking a little paler than usual.  
  
"I have a first aid kit in the trunk of the car," he replied. "I can go get it."  
  
"Really, it's fine. I will. Of course, I'll need the key," she added, standing up.  
  
"Here you go. This one opens the trunk," he said, indicating a small key. The plastic top was emerald, matching the car perfectly.  
  
As she walked to the nearby parking lot, she observed the key ring she held. One thing in particular really struck her eyes.  
  
There was a small key ring picture. Anyone could get them made at a photographer, so they were fairly common. The family looked fairly average. The mother was very pretty. She had sparkling blue eyes and a long, shining black hair. The father had dark brown hair and bluish-gray eyes.  
  
There was a boy in the picture. He couldn't be more than four years old. He had dark brown hair and clear blue eyes. She knew immediately who this boy was. It was Seto, about twelve years ago. This had to be his family, back before his parents died.  
  
As she looked up from her thoughts regarding Seto's mysterious and shadowy past, she realized that she had reached the car. She put the designated key in the lock. After hearing a small click, the lid popped open.  
  
She reached in and found what she was looking for. It was a white leather case full of bandages, gauze, you name it. Pulling it out, she closed the lid softly and walked back down the beach to where Seto sat. The sand crunched under her feet.  
  
"Here are your keys," she said, returning the key ring. "If you'll just sit here for a minute or so, I can get your lip cleaned up."  
  
"Thanks," he said.  
  
She pulled out a bottle of iodine. Pouring a little onto a cotton swab, she cleaned the cut. Hopefully, it would heal up without infection.  
  
"You're really good at that," Kaiba observed. "Where did you learn?"  
  
"Guess whose job it was to patch Joey up preceding an after-school fight," she said with a wry smile.  
  
"I get it," he replied.  
  
"Are you ready to go back to the car?" he asked.  
  
"I guess so. But it would be better if I you just dropped me off and I walked to the door by myself," Serenity replied, silently weighing the consequences.  
  
"You have a point. Well, lets get the blanket up and go," he said, picking up one end. She took the other, and together they had it neatly folded in seconds.  
  
When they got to the car, he threw it into the trunk and took his seat beside Serenity.  
  
"I'm not sure where your house is, so you'll need to give me some directions," Seto replied, backing out of the parking lot.  
  
"Sure. You know where Coastal Valley Road meets South Domino Boulevard?" she asked. He nodded. "Well, you just take a left. It's the third house on your right."  
  
"Thanks. I think I can get there ok," he replied. Sure enough, they were there before either of them expected. He slowed to a stop in front of the driveway.  
  
"Thanks for everything," she said, looking him in the eyes.  
  
"The pleasure's all mine," he replied. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
"See you," she said, stepping out of the car. As she walked up the driveway, he waited to make sure she got in okay, and everything was alright. She didn't seem to have a problem, so he drove off, wondering what Mokuba was going to say.  
  
Serenity stepped into the house. Her mom still wasn't home; she had to work late. Good thing, too. It would have been pure torture to have to explain why she was just getting home at eleven o'clock p.m.  
  
Walking down the hallway, she came to the door to Joey's room. 'So he did come home afterwards,' she thought to herself. The door was closed, and judging from the illuminated space under the door, the light was on inside. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door.  
  
"Who is it?" a voice came from inside.  
  
"It's me, Serenity," she replied, with sincere trepidation.  
  
"Go away," he replied.  
  
"Joey-" she started.  
  
"Fine, come in. The door's unlocked," he said. Pushing the door open, she stepped inside.  
  
Joey sat on his bed. His duel monsters deck was spread out in front of him, and he was making new combinations, obviously of lack of anything better to do.  
  
"Oh Joey!" she said exasperatedly. "Your eye's awful!" Sure enough, there was a dark bluish-black ring surrounding his left eye, where Kaiba's fist had made full contact. Given anymore time without treatment, it could swell shut.  
  
"So?" he replied, defiantly.  
  
"I'll be right back," she sighed. In a few minutes she was back with an ice pack and a first aid kit. She sat down on the bed beside him and took out, once again, a bottle of iodine, and started on him. She'd get his eye last. For right now, she'd just deal with minor scratches.  
  
"So, what was the deal with Kaiba?" he asked with genuine curiosity.  
  
"I talked to Tristan, and it broke his heart. I felt so bad that I ran outside. Somebody asked me what was wrong, and I told them. Turns out it was Kaiba. He asked me if I wanted to cut school with him, and I . . . accepted," she finished, awaiting the coming wave of anger.  
  
"Serenity," he started, sounding furious. However, he seemed to relax some before completing his question. "Why?"  
  
"I don't know, Joey. You know I got those clothes to impress him. It's almost like . . . I have a crush on him, okay?" she said.  
  
"What is it that you see in him, Serenity? I don't get it," Joey said.  
  
"I see a different Seto than you do, Joey. I don't know how to describe it," she said with a sigh. "Okay, I have an example. Have you ever seen him with Mokuba? It's like he's a different person. He's so caring and gentle."  
  
"I think I know what you mean. When they were reunited at the Duelist Kingdom . . . Yeah, I understand," Joey nodded. "He's like that with you?" Serenity nodded.  
  
"Joey, I love that Seto. And . . . I think he loves me too." A new wave of tears rolled down her cheeks. Joey knew he didn't need words. Reaching out, she fell into his arms. They hugged for a while. Despite his former animosity, they shared an unbreakable bond. No matter what happened, they were brother and sister, and forced to be there for each other. Forever.  
  
****  
  
Extreme fuzziness! Sorry, I couldn't resist. So sweet! Not the end yet! Please review! 


	15. Only a Day Away

"Whoa! How'd that happen, Joey?" Tristan asked, seeing Joey's eye for the first time that day at lunch.  
  
"I don't want to talk about it," he growled under his breath. Despite Serenity's efforts, his eye had gone yet a darker shade of bluish-black. He had been getting an assortment of questions about what had happened all that morning.  
  
"You can tell me, Joey," Mai smiled, scooting up closer to him on the bench.  
  
"I really don't want to talk about it," he said.  
  
"He doesn't have to if he doesn't want to, guys," said Yugi.  
  
"Right," added Tea. They could tell that she wanted to know as bad as the rest of them, despite her efforts to conceal it.  
  
"Haven't you heard?!" a boy, probably a ninth grader, ran up to them. "He was in a fight with Kaiba!"  
  
"A fight with Kaiba?!" exclaimed Yugi, turning in shock to his best friend. Joey groaned.  
  
"Yeah, a fight with Kaiba. It was about Serenity," he finally sighed.  
  
"She was with Kaiba?!" Bakura exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah. They decided to cut class all day," he said.  
  
"Why?!" Tea asked. As her curiosity had already surfaced, she had nothing to lose.  
  
"She liked him," Mai said.  
  
"What?!" the group exclaimed together.  
  
"You heard me. She liked him," Mai repeated.  
  
"You mean . . . you knew all along?!" Joey concluded.  
  
"Yeah, and I wanted her to figure everything out by herself. She needed to," Mai said.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right," said Yugi. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen either of them all day."  
  
"Me either," Bakura said. "Odd."  
  
"They're both suspend," Joey cut in.  
  
"Suspended?" Bakura asked, awe evident.  
  
"Yeah, they both got a day. They would've gotten more, but first offense really doesn't count against you," Joey explained.  
  
"Wow. I really would have thought of Serenity as the last person to be in suspension," said Yugi.  
  
"I know what you mean," agreed Tristan. "She must have really liked him, to put her perfect rep on the line,"  
  
"You bet," Joey said.  
  
The bell rang, and they were all forced to leave and go back to class. Mai and Yugi to history, Joey to language arts, and Tristan and Bakura to math.  
  
All their lessons seemed like they were missing something. All of the hard questions never got answered in math and science, and no one read any new poetry aloud in language arts.  
  
However, there were odd rumors floating around all day regarding the unexpected absence of the two of them yesterday. One of the most popular had something to do with aliens. The others were more sensible, but somehow seemed less likely.  
  
As they end of the day neared, the whole school seemed to know that the CEO of KaibaCorp and some girl, supposedly related to the second-place Duelist Kingdom champ had disappeared off the face of the earth around fifth period.  
  
If there was one person who needed to know what was (really) going on, I bet you could guess who it was. Mai sat through the rest of the day, willing the fire alarm to ring, a tornado drill to happen, something. Sadly, nothing unexpected occurred. When the bell finally rang, it seemed like days had gone by. Grabbing her book bag, she dashed outside and pulled out her cell phone.  
  
Quickly, she dialed Serenity's number. It rang about three times, and then finally someone picked up.  
  
"Hello?" a voice asked. She certainly didn't seem bored out of her mind. Actually, she seemed rather elated.  
  
"Well hello yourself! How was yesterday?" Mai asked eagerly.  
  
"So that's what you were calling me about. Don't get any ideas. We just went out to eat, and walked on the beach a little," she said.  
  
"Right," Mai said sarcastically. "For four hours?"  
  
"That's about the extent of it," Serenity shrugged.  
  
"I don't believe it. You were with the richest, most desirable guy in school for four hours, and all you did was 'go out to eat and walk on the beach for a little while'. Gimme a break."  
  
"You can believe what you like, but that's what we did," Serenity replied.  
  
"You didn't even kiss? Not once?" Mai said.  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Fine," she relented. "So what's the deal with Joey?"  
  
"He showed up, and got into a really awful argument with Seto. I jumped between them before the punches started, but Joey pushed me aside. I tried to stop them, but it didn't work," she sighed.  
  
"You can't expect them to listen to reason. They've hated each other for as far back as either want to remember. What happened to Seto anyway?" she asked.  
  
"He came out with a split lip, and an extremely bloody shirt," Serenity said. Mai winced.  
  
"Ouch. They were serious, weren't they?"  
  
"You better believe it," Serenity sighed.  
  
"Well, I hope things get better by tomorrow afternoon," Mai said.  
  
"Why?" Serenity asked.  
  
"Pool party?" Mai reminded.  
  
"Oh! Good thing I got off with a one-day sentence," replied Serenity.  
  
"You're grounded?!" Mai said, stifling a laugh. That was a first.  
  
"Shut up," Serenity sighed.  
  
"Well, see you there," Mai said.  
  
"You betcha! Bye!" Serenity smiled, and hung up. Only a day away . . .  
  
****  
  
How'd you like it? I have a few ideas for the next chappie, and I've written most of it. I like the idea with the song, Daisy-chan1! That gives me a few ideas . . . Well, thanks for reading this far, and please review! =) Oh, and thank you gorgon medusa! I've fixed that! 


	16. The Pool Party

I can finally update! I'm sorry to leave you hanging for so long, but I've had one of the busiest times of my life these past few weeks. Thanks and enjoy!  
  
****  
  
The long-awaited day had finally come. The weather was slightly overcast, but a storm hadn't been predicted. Everybody was arriving at the Kaiba mansion, some more on time than others. The first person arrived at twelve on the dot.  
  
"Who the heck drives a car like that?!" Seto wondered. It was actually a truck. A fairly expensive black truck, with two wheels in the back. The only fit adjective was 'punk'. Totally punk. (A/N: Happy, mage chaos? ^__^) To Seto's surprise, it was none other that Yugi Moto.  
  
"Hi Seto!" he shouted.  
  
"Hello!" Tea said. Apparently he had picked her up. Seto smirked.  
  
"Hello Yugi, Tea," he greeted them.  
  
"Are we the first ones?" asked Tea, looking around.  
  
"Yes," replied Seto, sounding rather terse. He was getting a little inpatient. The look of the car had gotten his hopes up that it had been Joey, of course with Serenity. "The patio will be through that door, take a left. You can go ahead back."  
  
"Thanks," smiled Yugi.  
  
"Don't mention it," Seto replied. Did this kid ever shut up?  
  
A few more people arrived, including Ryou (his Yami in tow), Miho, Tristan, and Mai. Finally, a beige station wagon pulled up. Joey stepped out of the driver's side, and the passenger side door swung open to reveal none other than Serenity. Key word there: reveal. Yes, she had had enough guts to wear the bikini.  
  
Seto stopped suddenly in the middle of an intake of breath. Now this was an unexpected twist.  
  
"Hello Joey," he sighed. "Hello Serenity."  
  
Joey just nodded. Seto winced at the look of his eye. He hadn't meant to hit him that hard.  
  
"Hello Seto," smiled Serenity. She wore a blue sarong tied loosely around her waist, and her long auburn hair was French braided. Since they were the last guests to arrive, Seto and Mokuba walked out to the patio with them. Serenity walked beside him, with Joey behind. The guests were sitting around talking. As they walked into the pool area, everybody stopped what they were doing for a moment to stare. Seto spoke up to break the ominous silence.  
  
"You can go ahead and get in," he announced.  
  
Joey was first in, doing an outrageous cannonball. The girls squealed, shielding themselves rather ineffectively with their hands. Everybody laughed, and dove in after him. Serenity splashed him, starting a huge boys vs. girls splash fight involving everyone, even Kaiba.  
  
"Lunch is ready," another maid announced, stepping outside. Joey looked up, and soon everybody was avidly gazing at the buffet laid out neatly before them. It had everything that you could think of. Just about every type of potato chips ever on Earth, even some Joey didn't recognize. A make your own sub sandwich bar and even some pizza.  
  
"Wow," said Joey, continuing to gawk wide eyed.  
  
The food was wonderful, and everybody ended up eating more than they'd meant to.  
  
"I'm stuffed," said Joey. "I couldn't eat another bite."  
  
"That's a first," grinned Mai. Joey hit her playfully on the shoulder, and she laughed.  
  
Everybody got back in the pool, but suddenly their fun was interrupted.  
  
A huge crack of thunder boomed across the cloudy sky.  
  
"Everybody out of the pool," sighed Seto. Apparently the weather forecast had been wrong. They'd have to hang out inside. Oh well. At least it waited this long, and the party wasn't a total waste.  
  
The group walked inside and dried off. They sat around the informal living room, wondering what to do now.  
  
"We could play a game," suggested Tea.  
  
"That's not a half-bad idea," nodded Tristan.  
  
"I could go for that," Joey added. Everybody nodded in agreement.  
  
"But what should we play?" Seto cut in. "We don't have any board games, and the basement arcade is being worked on right now."  
  
"I have an idea," said Mai with a look that was a little too scheming for comfort. "How about truth or dare?" 


	17. Truth or Dare

Okay, so it was pretty predictable I'd do truth or dare, and I know that much. The ending however, has proven to be a bit unprecedented. I would have updated sooner, but I've been so busy. I hate to tell you, but this is the FINAL chapter. I'll do a final author's note, but this is the end. R/R please! ^___^  
  
****  
  
"Truth or dare?" Seto said, giving her a look.  
  
"Yes. Don't tell me you've never played before," Mai said, rolling her eyes.  
  
"I haven't. But I have seen it played," he said.  
  
"Good. Now, we need to decide on some rules-" a huge boom of thunder and a crack of lightning cut her off. Suddenly, all the lights in the estate flickered and went out. Unfortunately there were no windows in the informal living room. The whole room became an uproar, as everybody scrambled around blindly, looking for a light of some sort.  
  
"Ow!"  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Joey, that's my arm!"  
  
"Sorry!"  
  
Finally, Seto found the chest of drawers and conveniently pulled out a flashlight. He shined it around the room. Everybody managed to untangle themselves somehow, and sat in a circle on the floor.  
  
"Somebody needs to fix the generator," observed Mokuba.  
  
"I agree," replied Seto.  
  
"How about Joey and Tristan?" suggested Mai.  
  
"I have no idea how to fix a generator!" Joey burst out.  
  
"C'mon, it can't be that hard. Between the two of you I'm sure you'll figure it out," Mai said, practically shoving them out of the room.  
  
After they left to go to the basement, Seto spoke up.  
  
"I know that you got rid of them for a reason, but I'm not sure if I want to know why."  
  
"Oh, you'll see," Mai assured him. "Anyway, here's the only rule: no chickens."  
  
"Chickens?" Mokuba said, giving her an odd look.  
  
"Right. In most games, each player is given a certain amount of chickens. You can decline a dare or truth once for each chicken. But this game there will be no chickens. You are obligated to do whatever you're dared. Get it?" Mai asked. The all nodded, rather speechless.  
  
After this, they went through all the mundane dare and truths. You know, 'Who was your first crush?', 'What's your deepest secret', and all the other first grade truths that one could easily lie about. The dares went down pretty much the same road. The only interesting one was very unpleasant. You see, Bakura asked Tea truth or dare, and she agreed to dare. Very unfortunately, his Yami took over at that very moment. Yeah, you get the picture. It involved, well, we just won't go into detail, shall we?  
  
"Okay, this has been too boring. Let's get the party started," Mai said. This earned her a very indignant look from Tea, but she ignored it. Mokuba whispered something in her ear, and she smiled and nodded.  
  
"Seto," she started. "I dare you to kiss Serenity." He looked a little afraid at first, but finally sighed, knowing it could have been much worse.  
  
"You don't understand. French kiss," Mai grinned, giving Mokuba a thumbs up.  
  
"French kiss," Seto repeated, looking pale as a sheet. Actually, his face was nothing compared to Serenity's.  
  
"Yes, French. And we haven't got all day. Joey and Tristan should be back soon," she said, looking at her watch.  
  
"If I have to, I will," he said. "But only because the lights are off." Taking a deep breath, he stepped over to where Serenity sat. Leaning towards her, their lips touched. Right as they started to kiss, all the lights in the entire mansion came on.  
  
Mai laughed and Mokuba cheered. Looking up, Seto realized what had happened. He pulled away as quickly as possible, but not before everyone in the room had seen them. They both turned the deepest shade of magenta, and sat back down at their spots.  
  
Just as the chaos calmed down a little, Joey and Tristan walked into the room.  
  
"Hey! We fixed the generator!" Joey shouted. Mai snickered. He surveyed the room with an odd look.  
  
"What did we miss?" he asked. It was Mokuba that replied.  
  
"Oh, nothing."  
  
So in the end, everything turned out fine. Serenity had her first kiss, and Joey just might have gotten a new perspective. Seto had a girlfriend, and Mokuba had new blackmail. And it was all because of Tristan's Biggest Mistake.  
  
The End  
  
****  
  
Final Author's Note  
  
Fanfiction.net has made another rule that I have to follow or get thrown off. *Sighs* Now this final author's note can't be its own chapter, it has to go at the bottom of this page. Anyway:  
  
On a final note, I just wanted to thank all of you. You've supported this story, given me ideas, reviewed, and been all in all the best I could have asked for.  
  
Here are all of the names of my reviewers from chapters one to sixteen in order of how soon they started reviewing (First reviewers first):  
  
Wolfyu  
  
anony-mouse  
  
Penny: Angel of Darkest Dreams  
  
Jeni Wheeler-Himura  
  
Anna  
  
Amanda  
  
Sanari  
  
Silver Dragon Golden Dragon  
  
Dee-whY-Cee-aRe  
  
Sia  
  
Queen Hatshepsut II  
  
LiLianJieGurl  
  
lynx wings  
  
Ieyre  
  
VampireBat  
  
Joey-lover  
  
CyberJ  
  
Machi*Gai  
  
Joey's Laydeeh  
  
dark-moon-posessor  
  
Setine  
  
KK  
  
Katanna  
  
Lorelei the Waffle  
  
Umi Freer  
  
B-chan5  
  
Seto Kaiba  
  
Tristanluver#1  
  
Head Of Kupo Corperation LTD  
  
Christina Ariko  
  
Azn Wild Cat  
  
Daisy-chan1  
  
Birdee  
  
Puppyfriendship  
  
Phantom-Erik  
  
Ryou Bakura22  
  
Chrystal Hikari  
  
Virny  
  
Yasmi  
  
Yugi's Little Sister  
  
Vicky  
  
Wolfgurl2003  
  
Jacy  
  
TK Macintosh  
  
KaibaGurl47  
  
divine-angel143  
  
Charistianna  
  
gorgon medusa  
  
Sakurelle  
  
Anonymous  
  
mage chaos (now heerosquirrel202)  
  
iluvkaiba  
  
Raigeki-Star  
  
KehkanSKlover  
  
I owe you all bigtime! You made this story a success, and I say this also to people who didn't find this or review till the final chapter. You too!  
  
Here's the stuff I don't own:  
  
Yu-Gi-Oh  
  
Any of the characters (Except for the random ninth grader, see chapter 15, and Jean the waitress, see chapter 12)  
  
Any of the places (Domino, KaibaCorp, etc.) The street names were mine though! ;)  
  
Michelle Branch (Or her mentioned album, The Spirit Room)  
  
Capri Suns  
  
Old Navy  
  
The Majestic (The movie that Serenity and Tristan saw)  
  
Iodine  
  
The totally punk truck (mage chaos [aka heerosquirrel202]'s idea, see chapter 16)  
  
truth or dare  
  
I think that's everything . . .  
  
Thanks again, and this was the most successful (but only the 2nd) story I've ever written. Please check out my new YGO fic, 'Attitude Adjustments'!  
  
See ya'll later! 


End file.
